La collectionneuse

La Collectionneuse is a fine example how consistent Eric Rohmer was throughout his Moral Tales series. The story isn't important here, its the intensity of each scene and the tension among the characters till the last scene. Subtle jump cuts in the storyline can make you pause & arrive at your own hypotheses about how the characters are feeling in the following scenes. This is a visual treat - whether its the sights & sounds of the reviera house where most of the movie takes place, or the shots of beach or Haydee Politoff's delicious lips. You never begin to hate or love any character at any point - but they stay on your mind long after the movie is over. The characters, adrian, haydee & daniel exude human rawness - none are perfect or simplistic. As a viewer, I could not take anyone's side. They all seek power in their own ways, while exposing their sensitivies equally. Its a curious caricature of the complexities around love and life. Rohmer uses symbols like antiques to express how the relationships are built and broken. I could watch it again & again. A delightful Rohmer classic - its poetic, with a pacing that works as a meditation of sorts.

A young man (Patrick Bauchau) parts with his fiancée to vacation in the south of France, where he plans to catch up with an old friend and spend his time in solitude. His holiday idyll is perturbed by the presence of a young woman (Haydée Politoff), who he says is not his type, but spends an awful lot of his time thinking about. She's sexually free and while in search of what she's looking for in life, sleeps with various men, a fact that gets under his skin.

The film is appealing aesthetically because through various small observational details in the surroundings and in the introspective silences he allows in, Éric Rohmer transports us to this place and its feeling. Politoff is also appealing to say the least, and her character has such an innocent simplicity about her that she's charming to watch. These are the things that made the film for me.

What I disliked about it was the protagonist, who provides the narration and the point of view of the film. While Rohmer is making a point about male insecurity and this guy's issues (as well as the other guy there, who's also an idiot), I have to say, he's so cold and judgmental that he's not likeable. I would have loved a version of this film that was made from Haydée's perspective. To its credit, through dialogue she is allowed to express her opinions, e.g. That he should mind his own business, and her boredom as he prattles on with his tedious pseudo-intellectualism. The art dealer also provides quite a takedown of the young man's not working and general laziness. He seems empty as a person and I suppose we're meant to recognize that and compare it to Haydée, who presumably goes off to Italy at the end and gets more enjoyment out of life. It's just unfortunate that the film, through its title and its narration, seems to share some of the viewpoint of the young man.

Overall, however, I liked this film both times I've watched it, and thought it was wisely kept at just 83 minutes. It makes me feel as though I was on holiday, and the images of Haydée Politoff are indelible.

"La Collectionneuse", the third film in Eric Rohmer's six moral tales, is packed with lacerating observations on life, love, and the nature of man. It is a sensitive conversation piece with elegant people commenting poetically on their lives and of those around them. Attractive men and women who reflect openly about the conflicts of intellect and impulse; inclination and action, solitude and companionship. Rohmer characteristically paces this eloquent tale of sexual temptation with long, fluid takes. "La Collectionneuse(Collector Girl) centers around a young, hedonistic girl(Haydee) who saunters laconically around the provincial environs of a large vacation home, seemingly indifferent to the two older men's(Adrian and Danele) existence. Haydee exudes a casual independence and an unflappable reserve. Her cursory dealings with her young lovers prompts Danele to cast her as 'the atrocious ingenue'. Though they find her unexpectedly alluring, both men regard 'the idea of collecting boyfriends opposite of purity'. Rohmer, the director of "Chloe in the Afternoon" and "A Tale of Springtime", enjoys revealing which individual can best cast their charm and guile to their best advantage. This 'game' between the sexes only leads to unwanted desires for the men and a resumption of her search by Haydee. Rohmer handles the material with a light touch throughout and concludes his story by offering a tenuous solution to the prevailing tension in the movie between one's solitude and fraternity. Adrian privately confesses that 'I was overwhelmed by a feeling of delightful independence, of total self-determination. But in the emptiness and silence of the house, I was overcome with anguish'. A universal truth clearly-rendered by one of cinema's most ingenious and graceful filmmakers.

Art dealer, in need of serenity, finds that the holiday villa is shared by a hedonistic young woman. He becomes obsessed with ignoring her and pretends to himself that she wants to seduce him while he remains unaffected. The holiday thus turns into a love triangle between the indifferent but flirtatious girl, the man's unacknowledged desire, and his incessant, pompous self-rationalizations (the best cinematic use of voice-over EVER!). A sunny, witty, and deeply ironic "moral tale" that explores, like most of Rohmer's work, the uneasy vacillation between intellect and eroticism.

The first feature length moral tale, La Collectionneuse is easily better than its predecessors. Offering a realistic look into the lives of three young people and narrated perfectly by one, La Collectionneuse is a beautiful film. This is Eric Rohmer's first color feature and it is absolutely magnificent to look at. There are several gorgeous beach scenes. The cinematography all around is just glorious. Aside from that, the acting is wonderful. There is so much chemistry between the main characters that it electrifies the film. It also provides a realistic tale of the struggle to keep morality. Translated as "The Collector" in English, La Collectionneuse is an overlooked, underrated film that should be considered a classic.

The story begins with three prologues. The first, Haydee's prologue, simply shows the girl on the beach in a skimpy bikini. The second prologue introduces the viewer to Daniel, a painter, who becomes a key character. Adrien's prologue, the third and last, gives us an introduction to Adrien, who becomes our narrator throughout the rest of the film. These three characters are whom the story revolves around. Sharing a mutual friend, the three of them come to share a villa during their vacation. Adrien, an art dealer who is played by Patrick Bauchau, has made it his goal to do absolutely nothing during his stay. He and Daniel (Daniel Pommereulle) become friends fairly quickly, but both keep their distance from Haydee (Haydee Politoff), the beautiful young girl who beds a different guy every night. Adrien is at first disgusted with her behavior, calling her a "collector" of men, but eventually becomes intrigued by her. As he grows more and more attracted to her, Adrien must decide whether or not to sleep with her and forget his moral integrity or to abstain and do what he knows is right. Through his narration, Adrien debates this and plays mind games with Haydee, although he's not sure if she shares the attraction or if she simply wants to add him to her collection.

This film is simply beautiful. The sexual tension feels very real, which is due to both the performances of the actors and the direction of Eric Rohmer, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. The narration is refreshing, offering a good look into Adrien's mind. La Collectionneuse is very sharp with its dialogue and themes. Like the other Rohmer films I've seen, this one ends very abruptly. It reminds us that we're watching these people's lives for only a short time. The 87 minutes is completely worth it, though. La Collectionneuse is a great film and should be regarded in higher esteem than it seems to be. I can't imagine why this one isn't ranked alongside the greats.

10/10